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Tanima Dutta, Lovely Professional University Unit 3: The Service Marketing Mix and Purchase Process

Unit 3: The Service Marketing Mix and Purchase Process Notes

CONTENTS
Objectives
Introduction
3.1 The Service Marketing Mix
3.1.1 The Expanded Marketing Mix for Services
3.2 Buying Situations Faced by the Consumer
3.3 Purchase Process for Services
3.3.1 Need Arousal
3.3.2 Recognition of the Need
3.3.3 The Level of Involvement
3.3.4 Search for Information and Identification of Alternatives
3.3.5 Evaluation of Alternatives
3.3.6 Decision
3.3.7 Purchase Action and Other Decisions
3.3.8 Post-purchase Behaviour and Feelings
3.4 The Purchase Process and Buying Situations
3.5 Summary
3.6 Keywords
3.7 Review Questions
3.8 Further Readings

Objectives

After studying this unit, you will be able to:
Identify the constituent of the service marketing mix

Describe the buying situations faced by consumers

Discuss the purchase process for services

Introduction

This unit gives as brief overview of the service marketing mix and takes you through the service
purchase process. Marketers have found that the traditional four Ps – product, price, place and
promotion, fall short when the strategy for marketing services has to be designed. Marketers
and strategists have identified three more Ps namely, people, process management, and physical
evidence, for the marketing mix of services.
The customer is the main reason for the existence of the service firm, forming the basis for all
marketing strategies like segmenting, targeting and positioning. Without an understanding of
the customer, it would be impossible for the marketer to deliver the offer, more so in the face of
increasing competition. For better understanding of a consumer, the marketers need to understand

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